Alone Together
by lnzzutara
Summary: Zuko and Katara are left alone at the Western Air Temple one day. Eventually it'll turn into M rating. My first story here.
1. The Duel

This story is set somewhat after episode 313 "The Firebending Masters." For simplicity, the three other kids that have been with them since the invasion aren't with them anymore.

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"Should we wake them up?" Aang asked his friends.

"No way. It's our day off. They knew we were going to find something fun to do last night. If we don't leave now, we might not make it back before dark. If they want to spend their day off sleeping in, we shouldn't bother them," Toph reasoned. Sokka shrugged, and then he turned away and climbed into Appa's saddle.

"Are we going or what?! Come on!" he said impatiently. Toph climbed up after him; Aang took one last look towards Katara's closed bedroom door and then airbended onto the bison's head.

"Yip yip!" Appa took off and soared away from the Western Air Temple.

In his own bedchamber, Zuko sat up. He had woken right before the Avatar and his friends had started talking about the fact that he and Katara were both still sleeping. Laying down in his bed again, his heart raced as he realized that he was alone with Katara.

He worried a little, too, however -- she had been unnaturally harsh towards him since he had joined their team. Unnatural for her, that is -- he had never thought that the beautiful waterbender who offered to heal his scar would ever be able to giggle so cruelly at him. She was a fierce and powerful fighter, and yet it was her taunting in the calm of everyday life that she was able to hurt him the most.

_Too bad I deserve it_ , he thought as he pulled his clothes on. He silently cursed himself for his actions in the Earth Kingdom; not for the first time, he wished he had listened to his wise uncle when he was around, and hoped that he'd be able to see him again one day.

Exiting his bedchambers, Zuko passed by Katara's still closed door as he headed outside to find breakfast -- or maybe lunch, as the sun was already high in the sky. _Was it uncharacteristic of Katara to sleep so late?_ Zuko wondered as he ate a few pieces of fruit.

A short while later, Katara emerged from the bedroom that she had been sharing with Toph to find herself both well-rested and alone. No, not alone, she realized as she bit into a piece of fruit. She could hear noises in a different area of the temple, not too far away. As she drew nearer, she realized that the noise was coming from the area of the temple they had designated for training sessions. Suddenly she realized that Zuko was firebending, but he wasn't training Aang.

"Where is everybody?" Katara called over, and Zuko stopped his training to look over at her. Her hair was slightly disheveled, but her blue eyes were bright and he thought she looked beautiful. Her tone toward him had not changed, and he knew that he'd have to do something if he ever wanted her to treat him any differently.

"They went out flying. Like they said they would last night, right?" Katara sighed, crossed her arms and looked around. He was sure that she was regretting oversleeping, wishing that she wasn't left alone with him.

"Hey, do you want to fight me?" Zuko asked, bracing himself for a backlash as she threw him a piercing glance, but she responded, "What do you mean, fight you?"

"Well, I've been training for a little while, but there's only so much you get out of it without an opponent. You could spar with me. I'm sure you'd like to take a couple shots at me with that water of yours." He watched her eyes as he said this, hoping for some glimmer of anything less than her unkindness, something that was more like the Katara he almost got to know. She looked away and then quickly looked back with the same fierce glare.

"You're on," she said.

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Katara stood off to the side and did a few stretches and warm up bending moves. She glanced over at him, and saw that he had his back to her and was removing his shirt. As he turned to face her, she couldn't help herself from noticing that he had a nice upper body -- she could sense how strong he was from across the courtyard.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Katara took a stance against the firebender, and prepared to strike.

He made the first move, a jab of fire that she dodged, whirling a water whip out of the pitcher at her hip. He lunged to the side, jabbing and kicking fire at her that she deflected and avoided, all the while launching ice and water attacks at him.

A well-placed ice blast knocked Zuko back a few steps, and as he regained his footing he saw the water in the courtyard fountain growing into the air. He threw his arms up to deflect it, but he was a second too late, and wound up flat on his back soaking wet.

As he got to his feet he saw the smirk on Katara's face. Her eyes told nothing of her feelings toward him, anger or otherwise. All he could see was that she was determined and passionate, a look that he'd seen many times since he'd begun hunting the Avatar -- it was the look she got whenever she protected her friends, whenever she fought for anything. He admired her for that, and found his courage as he looked into her own fearless eyes.

Zuko took a few steps closer to Katara, and she backed away, closer to the wall of the temple. His entire body was heating up, and he held a flame in each hand. Katara threw ice daggers at him, which melted to quickly to do any harm. As he grew closer, she drew up a large shield of ice to protect her, but the heat he was radiating allowed him to walk straight threw it.

Suddenly he was right in front of her, and his fire had gone out, and he had grabbed her arms and pinned her to the wall of the temple -- it happened so quickly, she had no time to react and was shocked to find his hands pressing her to the stone. She noticed that yes, he was quite strong, and she found herself looking into his eyes, fiery gold and full of passion, and he was staring back at her.


	2. The Kiss

I'll write Chapter 3 soon, things will get better (and steamier) eventually.)

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Holding Katara still against the temple wall, Zuko leaned in and kissed her gently.

Katara was shocked at Zuko's actions. She didn't know what to do, what to think -- she stood still as he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips tenderly against hers. Pulling a few inches back, he searched her eyes for any indication of what she might be feeling. She stared back at him, her heart pounding, partially out of fear, but also, somehow, curious about what he had just done, and curious to know more.

Realizing that Katara wasn't going to push him away, he leaned in to kiss her again, a little more passionately this time, and was pleased when he felt her responding to his kiss. Her mouth pressed against his and he let her wrists go, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Her arms went around his shoulders, and she felt strangely safe and content in his strong embrace.

Katara felt his tongue brush against her lips, and opened her mouth to allow her tongue to dance with his. Their kiss become more urgent as desire swept over Zuko; he felt as though he would never be able to get enough of her sweet taste.

Katara broke the kiss, panting heavily along with Zuko, who pressed his forehead against hers and still held her close. She raised her head to look into his golden eyes, and was taken aback by the genuine look that he was giving her. His gaze was so powerful, filled with so much emotion that she almost giggled when she realized that her knees actually felt weak.

Suddenly, Katara pushed Zuko off of her and turned away from him. Stunned, he tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away and flung a stream of water at him. Unprepared, he fell to the ground hard. Coughing, he rolled over on his side and looked up at Katara, who was staring down at him with a hard, angry look.

"What did you do that for?" Zuko asked, rubbing his back as he stood up slowly, keeping his eyes on Katara.

"You know why. You're such a jerk. I am _never_ going to trust you, so don't even try to seduce me or whatever it is you're doing! I'm not falling for it." Zuko felt as though he'd been slapped, and could say nothing as he watched Katara storm off through the temple.


	3. The Talk

Zuko lay on his back in the training area for a long while, until he noticed that it was getting darker. He picked himself up and walked slowly back to the main campsite. As he walked, Appa swooped down to land nearby, and his riders jumped to the ground.

"Hey Zuko! Look what we got!" Aang called, but Zuko turned and walked quickly back to his room, closing the door behind him.

"Wonder what happened to him," Aang said, turning back to his friends. Sokka was munching on several pieces of fruit, and Toph had a serious look on her face.

"What's with you?" Aang asked.

"Nothing. I'm just...gonna lay down for a little bit. See you later." Toph headed directly into her and Katara's room and shut the door behind her, leaving her male friends to shake their heads in bewilderment. She turned towards the bed opposite the door, and found Katara lying on her side, facing the wall.

"Katara, what happened with Zuko?" Toph asked.

"What are you talking about?" Katara asked defensively, still facing the wall.

"He was upset. I could tell. He was breathing...weird. Almost like he was injured, but I don't think he was. Like maybe...he might have been crying. And it kind of sounds like maybe you've been crying too."

Katara smiled in spite of everything she was feeling; she had forgotten that all of Toph's senses were extremely strong. Though her earthbending was her most powerful way of communicating with the world, her hearing was still more acute than anyone she'd ever known. Katara sat up on the bed and turned to face Toph. Toph sat down on her own bed across from her friend.

"We were dueling...practicing. I was winning...and then he attacked me."

"Attacked you?" Toph was confused.

"Well, not violently...but he held me to the wall and he kissed me, totally out of nowhere!"

"Really? I can't believe he did that."

Katara was skeptical of the calm tone in Toph's voice. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just that...I don't think it's so out of nowhere, Katara."

"What? What do you mean?" Katara repeated.

"It's just that...I sit next to him a lot at dinner and stuff, and whenever you talk, his heartbeat speeds up...like when someone's lying, only he's not talking. Sometimes he holds his breath or something like that….whenever _you're_ talking, Katara."

Katara sat silently, absorbing what Toph had just said. She remembered the burning look in Zuko's eyes after their kiss. She felt her curiosity, her excitement growing again. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she said, "No! I started caring for him when we were in prison together, when he was opening up to me...and he betrayed me immediately. I almost used the water from the Spirit Oasis to heal his scar...what would we have done if...Aang…" Fresh tears rolled down Katara's face as she stopped speaking.

Toph said, "But you didn't, and Aang is here. And Zuko is here too, and he's proven himself to me and Aang...maybe even Sokka...he's shown us that he truly cares about helping us and being on our side. Maybe you should give him another chance."

Katara stared at her feet, deep in thought. She didn't move as Toph stood up and laid down on her own bed. After what felt like a long time, Katara stood up and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

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Stuff will start to heat up in the next chapter, up soon.

Ps. I don't know what Aang wants to show Zuko. It's just something for him to be excited about...they found something on their trip somewhere!


	4. The Surprise

This chapter's longer, and stuff starts to happen.

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After returning to his room, Zuko had laid down on his bed, unable to sleep. He felt fresh tears prick at his eyes; hastily, he wiped them away just as he had been doing all day. He could not cry...and yet that's all his body wanted to do. He wanted to cry from the pain that Katara's words had caused. _No, not her words, _he thought bitterly_. My actions. It's my fault. I ruined my chances with her before I even realized I could ever feel anything for her._ He knew that he could not place the blame anywhere but himself, and tried to tell himself that he had to deal with the consequences, but he was unable to stop himself from tearing up at the thought of Katara's angry expression.

A sound jolted him out of his thoughts, and he sat up quickly, turning to face the door. Katara had opened the door and stepped inside, seeming a little nervous standing in his bedroom. Zuko remembered the last time she had been in his room, threatening his life, and he smiled as he noticed that there was something different in her eyes this time. He saw that she was very nervous, but he also saw something of the Katara he thought he might love.

Realizing that she'd be more comfortable away from his bedroom, maybe even somewhere with water, her native element...Zuko stood up and walked to stand a few feet in front of her. She looked into his eyes hesitantly, still a little bit defensive.

"Let's take a walk. I want to show you something," Zuko said. He moved behind her to hold the door open, and she walked through without looking at him. He shut the door behind him and then caught up with Katara, falling into stride beside her. The two exited the temple and headed south, Zuko lighting the way with a small handheld flame.

The two walked in silence for several minutes, as Zuko led the way out of the temple and into the nearby forest where he had camped before being accepted into their group.

"Zuko, where are we going?" Katara asked when they had walked for ten minutes.

"It's a surprise," Zuko responded.

"No, Zuko, no surprises. Tell me where we're going, or I'm going back," Katara stopped walking and crossed her arms. As much as she wanted to trust Zuko, she wasn't about to be led away from her friends into danger or a trap -- how could she have even gone this far?

Zuko, who was a few feet ahead of her, stopped and turned back. He walked back to stand in front of her, and noticed how beautiful her face was in the firelight. The forest was thick with trees, and there was very little moonlight or starlight on the path they were walking, so his fire was their only source of light. Zuko took Katara's hand and looked into her eyes.

"Please, trust me. I promise you, I don't ever want to hurt you again." Zuko spoke softly and squeezed her hand gently.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked again, but her voice held no trace of aggression, it was more of a curious inquiry.

"I told you, it's a surprise. You're going to like it. We're almost there," Zuko said, and with that he turned away from her and began walking again, still holding her hand. She let herself follow him, enjoying the feel of his hand in hers, reminding herself to let herself be open to him.

As they walked, they came to an area of the forest where the trees thinned out. Suddenly, Katara found herself on the bank of a small pond. It was almost perfectly round, and as it was a clear night, the full moon and the stars reflected brilliantly on the surface. The water sat perfectly still and Katara thought it could've been a mirror made of glass. The brilliance of the night sky and it's reflection were amazing in comparison to the dark forest, and Katara felt breathless at the sight before her. _A surprise, _she thought_, for me. _

She realized that she and Zuko were still holding hands. He was standing next to her, silent, letting her take in the scenery, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts. Looking over at him, she realized that he was watching her with a smile on his face; bringing her here and seeing her reaction had made him smile. Katara thought with sadness how she had never seen him smile before he came to stay with them; he had never had any happiness as the banished prince.

It was that, more than anything, that made Katara's heart open and allow her to trust Zuko. She turned to face him with a smile on her face, and before he could say anything, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and was clinging to him in a desperate hug.

"Do you like it?" Zuko whispered in her ear, as his arms wrapped around her waist and squeezing her gently.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." Zuko felt one of her soft hands rubbing the back of his neck, brushing the base of his hair. Sighing at her gently touch, he pulled back to look into her eyes, his arms still resting on her waist.

"Katara...I'm sorry about _everything _I've ever done to harm you, or your friends. I wish I could change...so many things. But I can't...I can only change what's going to happen. I don't ever want to be that person again," Zuko looked into her eyes as he spoke, once again wishing he'd changed so long before that.

"I believe you," Katara said softly, her arms still wrapped around his neck. Her fingers were gently, almost absent-mindedly, playing with his hair. He tightened his grip around her waist slightly and rested his forehead against hers.

"I can't stop thinking about you, Katara...you amaze me and you intrigue me and all I want to do is be close to you," Zuko said. "I --"

Katara leaned in and kissed him hard, pressing her body against his and tangling her hands through his hair. He responded in kind, pulling her to him tightly and kissing her in earnest. Their lips parted and their tongues searched each other's mouths. Their kissing became passionate, desperate, as if they would never be able to taste enough of the other.

Katara moaned softly, and Zuko felt it against his lips. He growled in desire and pulled back to bite gently on her lower lip, causing her to moan again, louder. He kissed her again, rubbing his hands along her back. After a few moments, Katara pulled away, breathing hard, staring intentely into his eyes.

Confused, Zuko stared back. He was worried as she made to turn away from him, but then he realized that she was holding his hand and pulling him along with her. She found a soft, grassy spot near the pond's edge and sat down, pulling him down with her as she did.

Katara was gazing out at the pond again, perhaps she had forgotten it's beauty, so he sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder. He kissed her cheek softly, then trailed kisses down her neck to the hem of her clothing. She sighed at his touch, and he smiled as she seemed to melt into his arms, tilting her head away from his so that he had easier access to her beautiful skin.

Zuko kissed her neck tenderly, lovingly, and then he flicked his tongue ever so slightly against her skin. He smiled at her reaction, she gasped and moaned slightly, and her body leaned into him a little bit more.

"Katara," he whispered in her ear.

"Yes, Zuko?" she turned her head toward him slightly, still with her back resting against his chest as he held her from behind. He kissed her temple softly.

"Katara, I think I'm in love with you. You're amazing, and you are so beautiful...I can't imagine not having you in my life." Zuko tightened his grip around her waist as he spoke, and he felt her arms encircling his own. Looking up at her face, he saw that her eyes were closed. He felt nervous, vulnerable...what if…

"I didn't want to think that there was anything between us. I wanted to believe you were just trying to trick me, or use me…" Katara was looking out over the pond as she spoke, and Zuko rested his chin on her shoulder once again. Her words hurt him, but he let her speak, needing her hear what she had to say.

"I wanted to think that because I was afraid…not of you…but of what it would mean if we loved each other. This war…you were our enemy. You were trying to kill us. But I felt you when we were in prison together…I saw the real you. After what happened to Aang, I didn't want to take that chance again, I tried to forget how I'd felt that day, but now...I feel it again. I've never felt anything like how I feel with you...I'm in love with you, too, Zuko." Katara felt wetness on her neck, and realized that tears were falling from Zuko's eyes. Not many, but a few…he wasn't bothering to brush them away, instead he let himself feel the sadness of regret, the regrets that he had for his actions at Ba Sing Se.

Katara turned around to face him, wiping his cheek with one of her soft, gentle hands. Her touch was comforting, and he reached out to pull her closer. He laid down on the grass with her on top of him, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck.

"I'm so sorry, Katara...I was so wrong about so many things. I hope one day you can forgive me...I am so sorry for ever hurting you…"

Katara pulled up, looking down at him, and she gained a newfound respect for him. He really had changed, she realized, and he really wasn't that person anymore. He hadn't been that person at Ba Sing Se, he had changed then, but he had made the wrong choice when it came up. He was here now, and he was sincere, and he loved her, and she loved him...

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Next chapter up soon.


	5. Water

Zuko kissed Katara, and rolled her onto the grass with him so that they were lying on their sides, face to face. He kissed her more passionately, his tongue gently slipping between her lips to explore her mouth. She responded eagerly, running her hands through his disheveled hair and pushing her body into his.

He unwrapped her robe and slide it off her shoulders, then leaned back to pull his own shirt off. He immediately leaned in to kiss her again, hungry for her sweet taste, full of desire for her. He pushed her gently on to her back and rolled on top of her, leaning down to lick and suck on her neck, loving the feel of her soft skin against his tongue. She was moaning softly, rubbing his back and shoulders, pulling his closer to her. She felt his hand gently pulling her undergarments down. A moment later she could feel her bare legs brush against his own, and she gasped at the sensation. His body was giving off heat, but she wasn't being burned...instead, she was growing hotter as she touched him, and her need for him was growing.

Zuko pulled back, and as he looked into her eyes once more, he saw a small trace of fear, of hesitance -- he had assumed that she had probably never been with anyone before, and he could see now that he was right. He kissed her tenderly and passionately, wanting her to feel that she was important to him, and that he cared for her...that she was safe with him. Katara kissed him back so sweetly and seductively that he couldn't help himself from grinning and tangling his hand in her long, flowing hair, pulling her to him for another hungry kiss. After a few moments, Zuko gave her a soft, tender kiss and opened his eyes to stare into hers.

Katara held her breath as Zuko entered her slowly, and as he pushed himself all the way into her warm body, she let out a gasp and clung to him, breathing rapidly. Zuko smiled and kissed her cheek tenderly, then began to pull out slowly. Katara let out a small moan and closed her eyes as Zuko began to build a rhythm. He was lost in pleasure at the feeling of Katara's body, and began to kiss her neck and shoulders, running his hands along every part of her that he could reach.

Katara was moaning and gasping, and her body was beginning to tense up. Zuko could tell that she was coming close to her peak, and he reached between them to rub between her legs. Katara let out a small squeal and her eyes flew open to lock onto Zuko's. A sly grin spread across his face as her moans grew and her body began to jerk and thrash as her pleasure increased dramatically. Her eyes closed again and she leaned her head back on the grass, as Zuko increased his rhythm in both his body and his hand between them.

Zuko felt himself approaching his climax as Katara began to scream and writhe, her pleasure overtaking her body. He couldn't take it anymore, her body felt too good, she was too good, he was about to…. And as he did, his eyes were drawn up to look at the pond ahead of him -- a steady rainfall had settled, entirely over the pond, it seemed. But then he realized, it wasn't a rainfall, it was water from the pond rising and falling back down...a rainfall caused by water bending. He looked back down at Katara as his orgasm took over his body, and he moaned and grunted at the release; Katara's eyes were closed and she moaned and gasped as waves of pleasure rolled over her body.

Finally, the two found themselves gasping for breath, wrapped in each others embrace as they tried recover from the intensity of their pleasure. Zuko buried his head in Katara's neck, cherishing the feel of her body and her love. Katara ran her hands through Zuko's shaggy hair, now slightly sweaty from the exertion, and wondered how she could ever have thought of him as a monster he. He held her so tenderly, with so much care, and he had given her so much pleasure…

Zuko kissed her softly on the lips, and then leaned back to gaze into her deep blue eyes. He knew that even if he spent the rest of his life with Katara, that he would never ask her about the rainfall...whether she intended it or whether her bending was overcome by the combination of the full moon and her intense pleasure...he would never find it in him to question her about it.

Katara felt as though she were in a trance, as if somehow she were living the best dream she could have ever had. Glancing up, she remembered that it was a full moon tonight. She recognized a familiar feeling in her body, a type of adrenaline rush that accompanied her bending, a distinct feeling she was very familiar with. She was also still filled with the desire and passion she felt for Zuko, and the combination of the two feelings were making her feel very content and relaxed. Looking into his golden eyes, she felt her heart fill with love, and knew that she was safe with him, and that he made her feel happiness that she hadn't known existed.

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I don't want to deal with Aang or Sokka finding out, so this is the end. Hope it was good...:)


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